Medina Metro to include 25km of tunnels 1 Apr 2015

Peter Kenyon, TunnelTalk

Egis/Systra is awarded preliminary design and feasibility studies for the future metro network in Medina, Saudi Arabia. As the second holiest city in the country, Medina has to deal with an influx of several million pilgrims each year.

Fig 1. Three-line Medina Metro includes 25km of underground alignment

The award – by the Medina Metro Development Authority (MMDA) – relates to three lines (green, blue, red, Fig. 1) stretching for a total of 95km, including 25km of underground alignment

The new metro is due to enter into service in 2020, with the project divided up into two phases. Over the next 12 months Egis/Systra will be tasked with carrying out the feasibility studies and the preliminary design for the metro, including the preparation of invitation to tender documentation for the design-build civil works contracts.

Medina’s new metro system is part of an ambitious plan initiated over the past few years by Saudi Arabia to utilise 100% public funding to develop and modernise its transport infrastructure.

Elsewhere in the country, excavation of the six-line Riyadh Metro is already under way, with Egis/Systra playing a construction supervision and management role (alongside Parsons) on three of the lines.

In Mecca, ten prequalified consortia are currently shortlisted for civil construction of the 44km long Phase 1 of that city’s metro system (which will include approximately 18km of underground alignment). Contract award is expected later this year ahead of a scheduled 2016 construction start. Design of what will eventually be a four-line Mecca system – to supplement the existing 18km all-elevated Al Mashaaer Al Mugadassah Metro – is completed by Systra. The four new lines are planned to extend to a total of 114km (including 29km of underground alignments and 62 stations) over three construction phases.

In Jeddah preliminary engineering design of that city’s 110km three-line metro, and 38km light rail system, is currently being undertaken by Systra. A two-day contractor briefing was held earlier this week to cover the schedule, procurement and tendering procedure for the US$12 billion design-build project.

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